Beacon residents left 'in shock' over €10m fire safety repair bill

An apartment owner says she does not have the money to pay her share of a potential €10m bill to fix fire safety and structural issues at the south Dublin complex.

Clare McAfee (34) bought the apartment in Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford, South Dublin in 2009.

Owners were sent a letter setting out an agenda where they will be asked to pay €9.1m into a sinking fund for fire safety works.

Residents in blocks A and D are being asked for more than €1m to repair water damage.

Josepha Madigan TD said the residents were "not in a position to pay for work" that "arose through no fault of their own".

Ms McAfee said she and other owners were in "shock" over the bills they face.

"I don't know what is going to happen, but there simply won't be money in the bank account to pay the charges they are asking," she told the Herald.

"I will definitely be going to next month's annual general meeting where I think and hope the residents will be listened to.

"At least we know it won't be a case of being forced out of the buildings, but people bought these places in good faith."

Another resident, Debra Fernandes (42), who runs a business from home, said: "I have very good landlords, but if the extra charges came through, it would more than likely effect my rent and I would probably have to leave.

"My rent hasn't changed in two years and I would not like to be paying any more because the rent for my business is also too high."

Another resident, Imed Ahmed (28), said he has already experienced difficulties in relation to fire safety structures.

"Management have already asked about doing some construction beside my apartment and I was told I could leave if I wasn't happy with it," he said.

Checks

Bonnie Shorthall (23) has been living in her apartment for more than two years.

"It's like buying a phone that catches fire - there should have been better checks when the construction was finishing.

"It's not very fair. The apartment owners should not be asked to pay for the bill left by the developers," she said.

BSQ Management Company Limited, which runs the entire apartment complex, declined to comment.